Beware iPhone RSI

I love my iPhone and I love my MacBook. Sometimes the things we love can hurt us... 

I'm now suffering from RSI in my wrist and my thumb. Mostly my thumb due to the repetitive action of scrolling on my iPhone screen while holding it in my right hand. Add to that scrolling on the trackpad of my MacBook, again using my thumb on my right hand, and you have a recipe for disaster.

The reason I'm telling you this is that these things are so obvious, but I've been ignoring the signs for weeks... It's not until it hurts that we take notice.

If you start feeling pain from repetitive motions, whether from using your iPhone, or iPad, or the trackpad on your laptop, take notice and act on it before it starts to become a problem. 

And I'm sure that PCs and Android phones are just as likely to cause RSI, it's definitely not an Apple-only scenario. 

I'm resting my thumb by strapping it up so I can't use it (which doesn't half make typing this hard!) I hope that in a week or so it will be possible to use it without it hurting.  You can rest assured that when I get my thumb back I'll be changing the way I scroll on my iPhone - I have already started using a mouse with my laptop at home... 

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Comments received

paolaenergya said on Thursday, 10 March 2011

Newspapers have recently reported a story about RSI and a lawsuit by two Virgin Atlantic employees against their employer. The employees won the case arguing that they developed RSI during working hours and they were not given regular breaks.

Employers beware as this judgement has set a precedent so now staff members can potentially sue for RSI they developed during working hours.

There are many ways to prevent RSI (and more importantly, RSI-related lawsuits):

1. all staff members have to take regular breaks, it is recommended to take a 1 minute break every hour to rest forearms, wrists, fingers as well as eyes
2. regular stretching can prevent inflammation in the joints and the shortening/stiffening of muscles
3. massage could help release the tension in the neck, shoulders, arms and hands

Whether you are using a laptop, desktop or smartphone the message is clear: take a break!
Paola Bassanese, award-winning massage therapist at Energya Ltd, www.energya.co.uk

scottishwildcat said on Friday, 11 March 2011

How on earth do you scroll on a Macbook trackpad with your thumb? Can certainly imagine that would be a shortcut to RSI... have never seen anyone even try with anything other than their index or middle fingers.